I take story commissions on occasion - The way I usually do it is I talk with the client about what exactly should happen, working out what all they want to see and what I'm comfortable writing and all, then I make a quick outline of everything that would happen (basically a point-by-point summary of the story-to-be). If they like it, then I go about writing it, sending the client snippets here and there, and asking questions if needed, before eventually wrapping it up and giving it a proofread for spelling/grammatical/technical errors. Only then do I ask for payment; I charge by wordcount, but I save it until the final draft for two reasons - One, this way I have an accurate wordcount, and two, nothing is actually owed to the client until this point. It covers me in case of busy times, or writer's block, or creative burnout, or just poor mental health, etc. I show them a screenshot with the wordcount, they send me payment, and I send the final file. If they need any adjustments at that point, I'll readily do so, but I won't really make any big changes from then on unless, hypothetically, there was a massive error in the way something was portrayed that wasn't caught in the samples that were shared, etc. I use Paypal, and as I've thus far only written for trusted clients, I've just given them mine and let them send the money, though if I become less discerning I'll work out the money request or invoice system. But that's for another time, as of me writing this.

Finding an audience is really just as simple as tagging your work with appropriate tags so they show up when folks are browsing for something to read. You could advertise your stuff on other socials if you so desire as well. The way I started was I wrote a few things that weren't commissioned, to build up a gallery (bibliography, I suppose); that way, potential clients can see examples of my work to get a feel for how I write, what I write, how I do dialogue and characterization, etc. It might be a good idea for you to do something similar; start with a few stories to build a gallery, and then when you take comms, you can point potential clients to them to show what you can do.

I wish the best of luck for you if you go through with this! I'd be happy to chat in notes as well if you have any further questions!

Be safe, take care, and stay awesome. ^^

Ah, that makes quite a bit of sense when I think about it. I'll keep that all in mind going forwards! I'll need to figure out something of a wordcount price that I'm comfortable with/makes the commission worthwhile for me and gives the client plenty to read. I'm just worried about that for now..

I think I've got a decent amount of works in my gallery, but maybe I'll expand upon some more stuff if needed. My writing style hasn't changed much since back then! Haha..

But yeah! This all sounds neat, really. I'll gladly shoot a note your way if I gotta figure out stuff!

My rate is US$1/100 words, rounded down to the whole dollar, and I ask a minimum order of $20 (2k words). I've been told it's on the cheaper side, but I write as a hobby and as a side-job, not as a primary source of income, so I don't mind it.

But yeah, like the other comments have said, take the time to work out a TOS with yourself before opening comms publicly. Make it clear what you will and won't write, and stay true to yourself and don't let people goad you into writing anything you're not comfortable writing - Same as a will/won't list for visual artists. If there's subjects on which you'd be willing to compromise, perhaps add it in as an extra fee (like a 5 or 10 percent increase in cost, or an extra $5 to the total) to show you're not -entirely- unwilling to write it but it's something you'd prefer not to include if given the choice. Conversely, if there's stuff you really enjoy writing (like my POV stories), you could consider offering a small discount as well. But I'd worry about getting established with a fixed rate first, then worrying about modifiers down the line once you've done a few commissions and get a feel for it.

And overall, do make sure you're taking time to write things that -you- want to write as well; don't fall into the trap of -only- writing for others. That's how I crashed and burned out really hard. Take breaks if needed - Like my first pose mentions, if you take payment on completion, then there's no pressure or obligation to finish at a certain time. I specifically mention I do not do timed/rush orders for that same reason; I will not try to force my creativity for an arbitrary deadline.

Yeah! A TOS doesn't sound too hard to come up with on the spot later down. I'll add stuff I forget to mention, and will occasionally make payment a tad higher if it's something I'm not too certain about, but doable. The 1$ per 100 words sounds decent to me, though! My writings tend to average along 3-5k words, it seems. At least, from what I've summed down myself. It's a little worrying, considering I'm not looking to look like I'm being too overpriced here- Then again, the writings themselves get decent reception. Let's simply hope the price is truly worth the writing! Haha

Of course! I don't think that'll be too difficult, considering I'm honestly eager to start taking writing commissions thanks to the confidence I got from you and others giving me pointers. It's a big help! I would be more than glad to have stuff done rather quick. Probably from 2-4 days at best. 4 days would be rather rare.. But again! It's all based on how I tend to write, quick yet always going back to check things.

I know for a lot of people they'll charge based on the number of words, number of characters, and the amount of scenes in the plot. No particular combination of those things, but usually at least a couple.

Hmm.. Seems about right! Gotta figure out just how much I'd price those types of things, let alone who is willing to pay for em lel

Having done a few story commissions and raffles myself, I'll just say that first and foremost you should have specific boundaries on what you will and won't write. Dos and Do Nots essentially. Also the types of characters would be good to specify, not just whether the characters are robots or anthros or something, but also if they are peoples OCs or if they are characters in regular media. And in terms of pricing, I go by word, but it is more so like by paragraph of writing considering how I usually write. The last tip for you is that writing for someone else like this is different than writing for yourself. It will take some getting used to, and that is OK.

Understandable! I'll probably get there to making a boundary list at some point. I do have a few things in mind! Though I'm overall fine with whatever characters, so that shouldn't be any kind of problem on my end. I do gotta keep in mind this is for someone else, and I have written for others in the form of gifts! So, that's gonna be helpful. They should all still be uploaded here, so people are able to see my previous works to get a feel for my writing ^^

I'm not too experienced in writing out stories myself, nor the pricing behind it... most I've seen is charging based on level of detail, length (words per page) and level of maturity--and tiny lil things of your preference! After all, it's your expression and your talent is being looked out for specifically... whatever feels like you! I know I love just how immersive and delightful your stories and thoughts can be, and it seems fun on the side! Rootin' for you ♪

Ah.. That's fine to not have much experience in that type of stuff! I do think it's good to have the stories commonly be priced based on the words and such. My talents mostly lie within comfort and such, neat little things! And, you don't know how much it warms my heart to hear that! Sometimes I think my stories reach little to none, and so hearing other people who I consider to be rather trusted say they like my stuff.. It feels honestly like a breath of fresh air! I love hearing your bit of praise. Thanks a bunch! I'll eagerly root right along for you, too. Silly sweet doughy bat...